Damage constitutive model of lunar soil simulant geopolymer under impact loading

Lunar base construction is a crucial component of the lunar exploration program,and considering the dynamic characteristics of lunar soil is important for moon construction.Therefore,investigating the dynamic properties of lunar soil by establishing a constitutive relationship is critical for providing a theoretical basis for its damage evolution.In this paper,a split Hopkinson pressure bar(SHPB)device was used to perform three sets of impact tests under different pressures on a lunar soil simulant geopolymer(LSSG)with sodium silicate(Na_(2)SiO_(3))contents of 1%,3%,5%and 7%.The dynamic stressestrain curves,failure modes,and energy variation rules of LSSG under different pressures were obtained.The equation was modified based on the ZWT viscoelastic constitutive model and was combined with the damage variable.The damage element obeys the Weibull distribution and the constitutive equation that can describe the mechanical properties of LSSG under dynamic loading was obtained.The results demonstrate that the dynamic compressive strength of LSSG has a marked strain-rate strengthening effect.Na_(2)SiO_(3) has both strengthening and deterioration effects on the dynamic compressive strength of LSSG.As Na_(2)SiO_(3) grows,the dynamic compressive strength of LSSG first increases and then decreases.At a fixed air pressure,5%Na_(2)SiO_(3) had the largest dynamic compressive strength,the largest incident energy,the smallest absorbed energy,and the lightest damage.The ZWT equation was modified according to the stress response properties of LSSG and the range of the SHPB strain rate to obtain the constitutive equation of the LSSG,and the model’s correctness was confirmed.

Preparation and Characterization of High-Strength Geopolymer Based on BH-1 Lunar Soil Simulant with Low Alkali Content

The construction of a lunar base and habitation on the Moon has always been on researchers’minds.Building materials used in in situ lunar resources are of great significance for saving expensive space freight.In this study,a new type of lunar soil simulant named Beihang(BH)-1 was developed.The chemical mineral composition and microstructure of BH-1 closely resemble those of real lunar soil,as verified by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy(XRF),X-ray diffraction(XRD),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),and reflectance spectra.This research also synthesized a geopolymer based on BH-1 cured at simulated lunar atmospheric conditions.We also investigated the effect of supplementing aluminum(Al)sources on the enhancement of geopolymer strength based on BH-1.The rheological behavior of alkali-activated BH-1 pastes was determined for workability.XRF,XRD,Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,SEM coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy,and 27Al magic angle spinningnuclear magnetic resonance were used to characterize resulting geopolymers.Rheological test findings showed that the rheology of BH-1 pastes fits the Herschel–Bulkley model,and they behaved like a shear-thinning fluid.The results showed that the 28-day compressive strength of the BH-1 geopolymer was improved by up to 100.8%.Meanwhile,the weight of additives required to produce per unit strength decreased,significantly reducing the mass of materials transported from the Earth for the construction of lunar infrastructure and saving space transportation costs.Microscopic analyses showed that the mechanism to improve the mechanical properties of the BH-1 geopolymer by adding an additional Al source enhances the replacement of silicon atoms by Al atoms in the silicon–oxygen group and generates a more complete and dense amorphous gel structure.

A novel specimen preparation method for TJ-1 lunar soil simulant in hollow cylinder apparatus

Conventional methods for hollow cylinder apparatus （HCA） specimen preparation are not applicable for T J-1 lunar soil simulant due to its wide particle size distribution. A novel method to prepare uniform T J-1 specimen for HCA tests is put forward. The method is a combination of the multi-layering dry-rodding method and a new under-compaction criterion in the multi-layer with under-compaction method （UCM）. In the novel method, the specimen is prepared with 5 layers by dry-rodding and the UCM is used to determine the height after each layer is compacted. The density uniformity of specimen is evaluated by the freezing method to find out the best under-compaction criterion. Two HCA specimens with the same target density are prepared by the novel method and examined in the tests of pure rotation of the principal stresses. Their conformable mechanical behaviors ascertain the effectiveness of the method to produce uniform and reproducible HCA specimens. Four groups of HCA tests are carried out to investigate the anisotropic and non-coaxial behaviors of TJ-I lunar soil simulant. The results indicate that the principal stress direction, the deviator stress ratio, the stress level and the coefficient of the intermediate principal stress significantly influence the strength and deformation properties of T J-1 lunar soil simulant.